Soul of Blades - Chapter 69: Swordmaster vs Draconic Being (Patreon)

Alex gasped for breath, looking at Mei, who was starting to sit up, her eyes filled with bewilderment, gratitude, and sorrow.

"You... you crazy fool," Mei said, shaking her head. "What’ve you gotten us into?"

"I'm sorry, Mei," Alex said softly.

Mei managed a weak smile. "No, it’s fine… Alex. Thank you.” She met his gaze as they sat on unfamiliar earth. 

“That woman, who was she?” Alex asked, still trying to process what he had just happened.

Mei stared at Alex, and sighed. "Yan Hua, she's a big shot from Mount Ben-Niu Sect, her daddy's some sorta high and mighty cultivator, a war hero. And we... damnit.” She paused, her frustration swelling. “We gotta pinch a petal from an ancient dragon's eyeball" she finished, an undercurrent of fear in her usually bold voice. The task was ludicrous, impossible even, yet Alex felt a thrill rush through him. His idea of danger, and what constituted as 'too dangerous' was becoming warped.

It seemed the past few weeks were changing him.

“A petal?” Alex repeated curiously.

“Yes, the ThunderGod Jade, its a treasure shaped into a petal, somewhere in this lower, E-ranked world. Trust me, it's a big deal, and a seemingly impossible task.`` Mei responded flatly.

“Okay cool. And seemingly? Who talks like that?" Alex snickered at Mei's peculiar choice of words, his eyes scanning the vibrant environment of this new, apparently E-rank world.

Mei cocked an eyebrow at him, her face pinched as she placed her hands on her hips. "Look who's talking, Captain I-have-a-vocabulary-of-a-five-year-old!"

Alex rolled his eyes, and shook his head with a chuckle. His gaze drifted across the world around them. "But the worlds only E-Ranked, like Pyra. How hard could it really be? It shouldn't be impossible, Mei."

”I mean, we’re both pretty strong.” He said.

Silence drifted between them at Alex's statement, as both looked out into the new world they found themselves in, alert.

"Dragons rule here," Mei blurted out, annoyance and irritation still clear in her voice. Her bright eyes darted around, taking in the lush world. "Elves and Kobolds too, under the Dragon's rule. And the ancient dragons, they're... different, independent. They listen to no one, except for this world's ruler, Mistress Yan Hau."

At the mention of her name, fear and the memory of her Qi as it surrounded, immobilised, and suffocated him surged through Alex’s memory. He felt as if they were not only just pieces on a chessboard, but pawns in a simple game of cultivators and beings of unimaginable power. His fingers curled into fists in anger, his grip tightening on his sword’s hilt.

Nobody would control him. At least, not for long.

The words flowed out of Mei unprompted, like water from a broken dam. "Long lifespans. Everyone here has unusually long lifespans, even though they're only E-Rank. They're weak, with crappy classes and almost never evolve their races, but they live so long. Too long, even. They've got levels, stats through the roof. Average level is four hundred, maybe five, with common classes. Warriors, the really good ones... they're another story, maybe two-or three times that. And don't get me started on the ancients.” She sighed, kicking a small rock, it shot off into the distance like a rocket. “I hate this place."

Alex digested her words with cool calculation. Suddenly, this world seemed different - lush yet dangerous. He thought back to his own class selection, and the benefits of all the different classes he was offered. Common classes had stat boosts of ten stats per level. So someone with a common class at level four hundred would have roughly four thousand stats, slightly less than his five thousand. It seemed unless they were especially young, everyone on this planet would have stats that roughly rivalled his own. And the stronger warriors were bound to exceed him in stats alone, despite having weaker classes and skills.

So he would possibly have to face someone two, or four times stronger than him. So what? He had spent most of his youth, practically his whole life battling his grandfather- a master, or other dojo members who were much older, stronger and larger than him. Eventually he had learned that good technique countered strength, and most other disadvantages.

He would just have to avoid getting hit, or if it was unavoidable, use technique to win. Redirect and strike, his skills included. He would have to practically become one with his art; his marriage of Kendo, skills, and the Dao.

Using technique to defeat an impossibly strong, or advantaged opponent. To Alex, this was familiar ground.

But first, he would have to familiarise himself with his ‘new’ body.

Now that the rush of adrenaline had worn off, he noticed that he felt different.

The air felt less restrictive, his status told him his body was D rank, a whole rank higher than this world. And he felt it. It felt as though he was floating, like the slightest tilt could send him flying in any direction. A buoyancy that made his body feel light, as though gravity was a mere suggestion. It was a E-rank world, far less restrictive than the higher world he had just come from. The air, the energy, even the very materials of this world felt less dense, less oppressive. He felt unbound, like weights he hadn't noticed before had been removed. He was stronger here, faster, free. He felt a wildness surge through him.

He felt invincible.

With a laugh that rang out in the vast expanse, Alex propelled himself into the air. His feet left the ground without the aid of skills or mana. Using only the strength of his raw stats, his body soaring higher and higher with a frightening ease. He felt the wind whip his hair, the force of it pushing against him as he ascended. An incredulous gasp escaped Mei, her laugh ringing out like a crystal chime below him.

As he soared into the air, a joyful laugh bubbled from his chest too, his voice joining the giggles of Mei from far below.

As he reached the apex of his jump and fell, his rapid descent was interrupted by a sharp figure cutting through the air towards him. A lean man, clad in metallic armor and straddling what looked like a young dragon.

He landed softly besides Mei, the ground barely making a sound under his feet. His heart was calm, despite the approaching stranger. He still felt empowered, invincible.

“Did you see-” he began, turning to his ally.

"No time for chit chat, Alex!" Mei's voice pulled him out of his stupor. He noticed the concern and annoyance stretching across her face. “They’re coming."

He barely registered her words. His focus returned to the approaching figure. The newcomers face was brimming with contempt and hostility.

The man, with a lean, wiry build, and large metal gauntlets encasing his hands, was sitting astride a creature that resembled a small dragon. The newcomer held chains leading to two other similar beasts flying in the air behind him. The man descended swiftly, landing with a flourish before them.

"They’re wyverns. Ice wyverns." Mei whispered urgently. The creatures were much smaller than what Alex imagined dragons to be, with thick snake-like bodies and large wings. Their scales appeared hard, sleek, and wet in the sunlight.

Like snakes.

The man's gaze was predatory as it raked over them, his lips curling in a sneer. The man looked strange, and slightly draconic. “Humans.” The man exhaled with mild surprise, “A rare sight. What are you doing here?" His words were spat out like venom, his slitted eyes filled with unhidden hostility. Alex wondered how every being seemed to know and recognise what humans were. Was it because of the Empire? Or some other strange reason? That was another question he would have to remember to ask Mei.

"You don't belong here." The draconic man's voice was a rough growl. He didn't wait for a response.

The chained wyverns sprung into action, their massive forms lunging towards Mei. Alex spared a glance towards her, noting her rigid stance. She looked forlorn and resolute, as if she had expected this. Her hands balled into fists, her usually boisterous voice silent.

The man launched himself off his wyvern, shooting towards Alex like a cannonball. Surprised, Alex’s instincts screamed at him to react. Duck. Evade. Survive. But he stood his ground and resisted those primitive urges. He was stronger now. Much stronger.

Alex saw the mans attack coming. That he could even see it was a good sign. The man threw a lethal punch aimed straight at his chest. But Alex’s body had moved on its own the moment the man had begun to lunge, narrowly avoiding the hit. As the draconic foe neared, Alex saw his own reflection in the polished gauntlets, a visage he barely recognised. The punch landed on the ground, the impact cracking the earth beneath them. Dust and debris filled the air, obstructing his view.

"Mei! Keep them busy" Alex called out, his heart hammering in his throat. He didn't wait for her reply. He didn't have the time.

"You're stronger than I expected," the man grunted, pushing back against Alex.

"And you're weaker than you think," Alex retorted, as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

A roar pierced through the air interrupting them. The third wyvern was heading straight towards Mei’s unprotected back.

"Behind you!" Alex's called out desperately. He broke away from his fight, rushing towards Mei. But the distance was too great. The wyvern was faster.

Mei simply glanced back, and smirked.

Her hands sparked with energy. The energy condensed, forming a bright orb.

Mana.

She was using mana. Of course, how could he have forgotten she was an administrator, and not at all defenceless.

The orb shot towards the wyvern, the air around it crackling with energy. The wyvern faltered, screeching in pain. It crashed onto the ground, its momentum halted. Mei turned back to face the two charging and snapping wyverns in front of her.

Alex didn't have time to celebrate. The man lunged at him again, his attack fierce. Alex braced himself and clasped the hilt of his sword, ready for the impact.

And then, everything went still.

Sovereign Clone. Alex thought, urging a surge of almost half his mana into the skill, guiding it with Inner Focus to infuse his sword, Eclipse, with the clone skill as he drew it from its sheath to block the blow.

[Sovereign Clone - Mastery 5 > 11%]

And just as the man's gauntlet was inches from his face, the world blurred into motion again.

Alex's arm strained as he drew his sword, Eclipse, to block the blow. The impact sent a jarring shudder down his arm and spine, forcing him to grit his teeth against the harsh sensation. His dark sword came alive to block the attack. With a sound like molten metal cooling rapidly, the sword contorted, expanded, morphed. An exact replica of Alex emerged, the new clone sprung from the lifeless form of his weapon. But something was strange as the blade continued to warp and shift in a way the skill never had before.

His sword was different, and his skill, his clone, even moreso.

Standing tall in the place of his clone was a figure of nightmare, a doppelganger, a silhouette carved out of shadow and malice. The duplicate was lean and taut, its muscles shining under the harsh sunlight, each strand of dark metallic muscle fibers visible and pulsing, yet it felt dense, an impossible weight for its slender appearance. It sunk slightly into the E-grade earth as its feet landed. Crafted from a mysterious, ink-black metal, the clone resembled Alex.

Yet it was more, somehow.

Its body was lean and sinewy. Demonic horns, more akin to bladed thorns, sprouted from either side of its forehead, curling back and upwards, streaking the air with their ferocity. The thorny horns had curved channels running along their length, like the haunting scars of some primeval beast.

The clone was decorated with runes similar to the sword it was birthed from. Dark, crimson etchings played across its metallic skin, pulsating with energy, illuminating its frame with a soft red light. A malevolent, metal-slitted eye embedded in its forehead seemed to survey the scene with detached amusement.

"Fight!" Alex ordered, voice ringing clear across the battle-scarred terrain.

Without hesitation, the clone launched itself towards the draconic man. Its movement was a melody of power and precision, each step precise and perfectly balanced. Alex felt a bizarre jolt of connection as the clone moved, a tug that pulled in his very soul. It was his skill, yet it felt... different.

Stunned silence fell over the battlefield as Alex sprinted behind his metallic clone, his heart thundering in confusion. A fleeting glance forward and he could have sworn the clone's eye winked at him before it lunged. A wink? The absurdity of the thought made him stumble for a moment.

The clone, mimicking his creator's speed and dexterity, closed the gap on their shared enemy. The wyvern man, his arrogant smirk wiped clean by surprise, scrambled to mount a defence. His eyes darted between the charging Alex and his relentless clone.

Could it be? Alex questioned his sanity. Was his clone, a product of his skill, exhibiting... personality? That wasn't part of his skill's description. But as he plunged into the fray, his doubts were drowned beneath the urgent need to survive, defeat this strange foe, and get some answers.

"You asked for it," Alex muttered, charging towards the man.